A look at some effective PR campaigns this year

Advertisements and PR campaigns are everywhere, and in such a highly saturated market there are only a few that come out on top and catch consumers’ attention. We thought we would analyse two recent campaigns that caught our attention here at WordStorm PR so far this year

1.SpaceX Project

In his efforts to participate in space travel and exploration, US Entrepreneur Elon Musk launched his new rocket, the Falcon Heavy, in early February. With the rocket being launched to explore Mars, Musk took brand awareness one step further by sending a red Roadster from his car company, Tesla. The car includes a mannequin in the driver’s seat dressed as an astronaut, and was propelled into the Earth’s outer atmosphere with David Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’ blaring from the car’s stereo. The launch was broadcast globally and newspapers, magazines and social media platforms were buzzing with images and videos of the shiny red car orbiting Earth from outer space.

The rocket’s launch was not only an enormous leap for space exploration, but also turned out to be one of the biggest PR stunts this year. Whether you believe the move has inspired future generations to dream big and carry on with space and technological advancements, or side with those who complain about the unnecessary cost to the taxpayer, it is undeniable that the campaign garnered global attention. The bizarre concept of a floating vehicle orbiting the Earth whilst playing Bowie tunes was effective in bringing attention to space exploration efforts by Musk, his Tesla automotive brand and his entrepreneurship.

2.KFC Chicken Shortage

In another seemingly bizarre case, fast food chain KFC faced a crisis in the UK when hundreds of their restaurants ran out of chicken early this year. An absence of their best-selling product was clearly not an ideal situation for the company, and customers did not take the news well either. Disappointed consumers took to social media to convey their anger, with some even trying to get the local police involved, and the backlash was portrayed in national and global media coverage.

A chicken shortage proves to be a peak crisis for a fast food chain best known for its fried chicken, and KFC recognised an apology was needed to customers. In UK newspapers The Sun and Metro, the company ran a full-page print ad apologising for the incident, admitting that “a chicken restaurant without any chicken” is “not ideal”. What we thought was particularly creative and effective in this campaign was the adjustment of the KFC logo in the ad, with the reordering of ‘KFC’ to ‘FCK’. In their efforts to apologise and rebuild brand reputation following a crisis, KFC were able to echo customers’ sentiments of the chicken shortage in a humorous manner that received a positive reception by the majority of the public on social media.

In two completely different cases- a product launch and crisis management- these two organisations demonstrated varying ways in which audiences and consumers respond to PR campaigns that proved to be effective in drawing attention to their respective brands.
Written by Siobhan O’Brien